Miniature rotary electric switch with housing interconnecting means



E. J. MASTNEY MINIATURE ROTARY ELECTRIC SWITCH WITH April 6, 1965 3,177,306

' nousme INTERCONNECTING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 11, 1960 INVENTOR.

April 6, 1965 E. J. MASTNEY 3,1 77,306.? MINIATURE ROTARY ELECTRIC SWITCH WITH HOUSING INTERCONNECTING MEANS Filed April 11, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Taps . I I /0 ha 474. d7

L i 5 \JHI' 2 m a l 'Aprilffi, 1965 E. J. MASTNEY 3,177,306-

MINIATURE ROTARY ELECTRIC SWITCH WITH HOUSING INTERCONNECTING MEANS Filed April 11 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3' United States Patent O 3,177,306 MINIATURE RGTARY ELECTRIC SWITCH WITH HGUSING INTERCUNNECTING MEANS Edward J. Mastney, Hjnsdale, Ill, assignor to flak Manufacturing (30., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 11, 196i), Ser. No. 21,414 13 (Ilaims. (Cl. 200-11) This invention relates to rotary electric switch means and more particularly to a miniature switch means embodying switch sections which may be readily added as occasion demands. In United States Patent No. 2,186,- 949, a rotary electric switch is disclosed wherein flat arcuate rotor contacts are carried on a rotor disk. These contacts cooperate with stator contacts having jaws which enclose the rotor contacts on opposit sides thereof. As disclosed in said patent, switch sections may be added to build up a multi-section switch capable of handling complicated circuits. The construction disclosed in the above identified patent may be miniaturized somewhat. However, for switch sections having a maximum diameter of /2", it has been found that such a construction is not feasible and tends to cut down the flexibility of the switching combinations.

In accordance with the present invention, a construction has been devised which can be miniaturized to a fraction of an inch while still retaining the flexibility of operation which is inherent in this general type of rotary switch. In the new construction embodying the present invention, the rotor and rotor contacts generally follow the same construction as disclosed in the above identified patent except that the parts are smaller. However, the stator construction and its contacts together with other means for maintaining switch sections in position embody features which permit miniaturization without destroying the flexibility of this general type of switch. In fact, tie new construction embodying the present invention in creases the flexibility of switch design and is readily adaptable to switches of larger size.

In general, each stator of a switch section comprises a generally cylindrical member of insulating material. Carried by the cylindrical member in a circular pattern are stator contacts. Each stator contact has a flat mounting portion which rests against the cylindrical surface, either the outside or inside thereof. Each stator contact has at least one or a pair of spring contact jaws extending radially inwardly of the cylinder and each stator contact includes a terminal portion extending outwardly from the stator cylinder. Each stator sleeve includes at one end thereof a flange portion extending inwardly generally radially. The flange portion provides an arcuate bearing surface for a rotor and also provides a cage for accommodating stator contact jaws and providing insulating separation strips between the contact jaws of adjacent stator contacts.

Each cylindrical stator portion is provided with keying or locating bosses or notches at the ends so that a number of such stator sections can be disposed in end-to-end relation to provide a stack whose component sections are properly oriented with respect to each other.

Each stator section carries its own rotor and since a rotor is adapted to cooperate with a non-circular shaft, the rotor can be properly oriented.

Each complete switch stack may include index means of suitable design disposed within an insulating spacer sleeve at one end of the stack. The index means is anchored to the shaft. The other end of the stack has means anchored to the shaft for compressing the stack. The shaft is in tension. This eliminates stack retaining means external to the sleeves.

In order that the invention may be understood, reference will now be made to the drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded view of a switch embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a view generally similar to FIGURE 1 but taken from a different angle to illustrate certain structural features.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation with certain parts in section of the new switch.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the switch illustrated in FIGURE 3 without any section.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of an insulating spacer sleeve utilized in the new switch.

FIGURE 6 is an end view of the spacer sleeve illustrated in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation with certain parts broken away of the stator portion of a switch section embodying the present invention.

FIGURES 8 and 9 are views on lines 8-8 and 9-9 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional detail of a portion of a stator showing a modification.

FIGURE 11 is a longitudinal section of a modified switch construction embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 12 is an end view of a switch section from FIGURE 11.

The ew switch construction includes operating shaft It) having flattened switch operating portion 11, and a circular cross section portion which carries a bushing 14 having externally threaded portion 15 for panel mounting. Bushing I4 is mounted so shaft I0 can rotate but is locked against longitudinal movement. This is generally accomplished by C washer 14a carried by the bushing and having one or two parts of the washer riding in a groove in the shaft. Bushing 14 carries front plate to which has rigidly attached thereto index plate 18. As illustrated in FIGURE 3, index plates I8 has a series of index indentation disposed in a circular pattern around the center of shaft id.

Cooperating with index plate 18 is spring index member 29 rotatively coupled to the shaft. The index means may be conventional and for a further description of this particular type of index means, reference is made to United States Patent No. 2,770,982. Any other type of index means which may be easily miniatured may be used.

The shaft, including circular portion 10 and flattened portion 11, together with the index means and front plate may all be made of metal.

Index plate 18 has peripheral flange portion 21 provided with slots 22. Slots 22 are preferably arranged in a regular pattern to register with cooperating projections on the remainder of the switch structure. In this instance, slots 22 are four in number, and are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center of the shaft.

Cooperating with the slots in flange 21 are projections 23 extending longitudinally from the end of spacer sleeve 24-. Spacer sleeve 24 may be made of any suitable material and may conveniently be made of plastic. As is evident in FIGURE 3, sleeve 24 provides a housing for the index means as well as serving to space the index means along the shaft from adjacent switch sections.

Index sleeve 24 may have any desired length and has the other end portion of the sleeve provided with slots 26 extending inwardly from the edge of the sleeve. Slots 26 are aligned with projections 23 and are dimensioned to interfit with projections similar in size and number to projections 23 of the sleeve. Sleeve 24 may have more slots 26 than are shown.

Beyond index sleeve 24, toward the rear of the switch (the index means is assumed to be at the front), any desired number of switch sections may be disposed in succession along the shaft to provide a switch stack. Since "these switch sections are similar in construction only one terial, such as Bakelite or polyethylene as examples. A

switch section will have switch positions corresponding to index positions, as is well known in this art. Accordingly, stator sleeve 28 has a plurality of apertures 29 extending through the cylindrical wall thereof. Apertures 29 are disposed between the two ends of the stator sleeve and allof the apertures on the sleeve are symmetrically disposed in a circular pattern around the axis of the sleeve.

'The number and arrangement of the apertures correspond to the index positions of the entire switch assembly.

Each aperture 29 of the sleeve can accommodate one stator contact, as illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 4 inclusive. Each stator contact comprises mounting portion 31 suitably apertured to register with sleeve aperture 29. The stator contact may be riveted or eyeletted to the sleeve. Mounting portion 31 is adapted to lie in slots 33 molded or formed in the outer part of the sleeve. Slots 33 extend longitudinally of the sleeve. Thus as illustrated in FIG- URES 7 to -9 inclusive, slots 33 extend from one sleeve end 34, which for convenience may be designated as the rear end of the stator sleeve, to front sleeve end 35. Front end 35 of a sleeve is provided with projections 36 which correspond in size and position to slots 26 in the rear end of spacer sleeve 24. Rear end 34 of a stator sleeve is provided with slots 37 to correspond in position and size to projections 36. A plurality of stator sleeves may be 'longitudinally disposed and interfitted to comprise a stack.

Stator sleeve 28 adjacent front end 35 has inwardly extending flange 38 provided with clearance openings 39 for accommodating the spring contact jaws of the stator contacts to be described. Flange 38 with openings or windows 39 form a cage for the contact portions of the various stator contacts. For some specially long stator contacts, flange 38 is cut to provide extra long openings 39a.

Referring back to the stator contacts, each mounting portion 31 has at one end thereof-in this instance the rear end thereofterminal portion 40 bent to extend outwardly away from the stator sleeve. Body portion 31 is maintained in position on the stator by eyelet 41 passing through registering apertures in body portion 31 and in the stator sleeve.

Each contact clip has contact jaws .45 extending inwardly of the stator sleeve adjacent flange 3?. The stator clips are of double thickness spring metal and terminate in opposed spring contact jaws for accommodating a flat rotorcontact, to be described later, the flat rotor contact being perpendicular to the axis of the stator sleeve.

' The stator contacts may have the spring jaws of different lengths to terminate at different distances from the axis of the stator sleeve for cooperation with rotor contacts having portions extending radially at different distances from the sleeve axis. This arrangement of active contact portions of stator contacts is provided to cooperate with the rotor contacts and generally follows the construction disclosed in the 2,186,949 patent referred to above. Stator contacts having conventional jaws 45 will be accommodated by cage windows 39. Other contacts having extra long jaws 45a will be located so jaws 45a willtbe at openings 39a.

Each switch section includes a rotor assembly comprising insulating disk 47 having a series of apertures 48 disposed in a circular pattern adjacent the disk edge. The rotor disk carries oneor more flat rotor contacts 50 on one side of the disk, the rotor contacts being attached to the disk by fingers extending from the inner edges of the contact and passing through apertures 48 in the disk. As

is more fully disclosed in the 2,186,949 patent, the rotor contacts may have any desired angular extent, may be separated into smaller angular portions and may have active contact portions extending outwardly from the rotor contact body. The various lengths of the stator contact jaws make it possible to cooperate with desired parts of the rotor contacts extending beyond the edge of the disk.

Disk 47a, which is secured to rotor disk 47 by the fingers on contacts 50, has adiameter somewhat larger than the opening within flange 38 so that the outer edge of disk 47a can rest against flange portions 38 on the inside of the stator sleeve. Rotor contact 50 also rests against flanges 38 so that the rotor as a whole is snugly retained by flange portions 33. It is understood that the thicknesses of the various parts are so proportioned that this can take place.

It is clear that the stator contacts need not have jaws on opposite sides of the rotor contacts. The jaws on one side or other of the rotor contacts may be omitted if desired.

As is well known and as is disclosed in the 2,186,949 patent, many desired switching patterns may be obtained by a suitable arrangement of stator contacts and their jaws and suitable arrangement of the rotor contacts with regard to angular extent and radial dimensions.

It is also possible to have rotor contacts on opposite sides of the insulating disks as illustrated in FIGURE 10 herein and provide stator contacts for engaging the additional rotor contacts. Stator sleeve 28 in such case would not have the flange and cage construction. The stator contact can be disposed on the inside of the sleeve with mounting portion 31 retained by rivet 4-1. The rear face 34' of sleeve 28 will be slotted to accommodate terminal portions 40' of the stator contacts.

A number of switch sections may be assembled together end to end, the various stator sleeves being locked against rotation with respect to each other. The various rotor disks are aligned so that flat shaft portion 11 can pass through the same. If desired, means may be provided for preventing the shaft from passing through the various rotor disks unless every disk is in correct angular posi tion to avoid the ambiguity of the arrangement illustrated wherein a rotor disk may have one of two aligned positions. Such an arrangementmay be provided by having the shaft and disk openings non-symmetrical.

After a number of switch sections have been assembled, end plate 55 of suitable material is provided. End plate 55 is provided with tongues to engage slots 37 at the rear end of the stator sleeve. It is understood that this locking is only against rotation. In order to maintain end plate 55 in position, spring clip 56 is provided. Spring clip 56 has tongues 57 which engage slots 58 in the shaft. Clip 56 presses against the outer face of end plate 55 and cooperate with C washer 14a to maintain the various switch sections in compression. The shaft, of course, will be in tension.

Insofar as the assembled switch is concerned, it is only necessary to provide means at the front plate for preventing the front plate from moving away from the switch assembly along the shaft. Thus, a C washer adjacent the very end of bushing 13 could the provided around shaft 1t However, the arrangement illustrated may be convenient during assembly.

It is clear that by virtue of the new construction a large number of switch sections may be assembled without relying upon any bolts or other means disposed laterally away from the shaft and beyond the rotors for maintaining the sections in position. By notching a shaft at various intervals, the same shaft may be used for different switch arrays. It is also possible to insert dummy cylinders for taking up space between switch sections if a predetermined length of shaft i required.

In FIGURES 11 and 12 is shown a modification wherein stator contacts may be sprung into position and require no rivets or eyelets. Stator sleeve 128 differs from sleeve 28 of the structure previously described in a number of particulars. Sleeve 128 has slots 133 of dovetail shape extending along the outside from front end 135 of the sleeve toward but short of rear end 134. Sleeve 128 has rear end portion 134a of full wall thickness Where slot 133 terminates. Thus portion 134a provides a ledge or stop for the contact. The contacts have mounting portions 131 with tongues 131a cut out from the clip metal to extend into wall apertures The contact clips are of spring metal and tongues 131a are bent to assume the position shown in FIGURE 12. The direction of tongues 131a permit the clip body to slide along the dovetail slots, the tongue body Ibeing temporarily forced to be flush with the contact clip metal. The spring tongues lock each clip into position. Each clip may have a tongue cut out from one or both thicknesses of metal at portion 131.

The contact clips have spring contact jaws 145 or extra long jaws 145a. The stator sleeves have the inwardly disposed flanges 133 with windows or openings 139 to clear the contact jaws. The cage construction for the front end of the stator sleeve is the same as in FIGURES 1 to 9 inclusive. Where extra long contact jaws 1450 are provided, the cage construction is modified as in part 139a of FIGURES 8 and 9. The extra long jaw contact clip in FIGURES 11 and 12 may be eyelettecl or riveted, instead of having a spring tongue snap-on retention. This involves using the contact clips illustrated in FIGURES l to 4- inclusive.

The rotor construction illustrated in FIGURE 11 may be used in all the switch constructions. In this rotor construction, rotor disk 147 is rotatable within flange 13%. Thin disk 147a of insulation or metal somewhat larger than the opening defined within flange 138 may be used to prevent the rotor from moving to the left as seen in FIGURE 11. The rotor contact 15%? extends beyond flange 138. Rotor contacts 156) have finger extending through apertures in rotor disks 147 and 147a. Thus the entire rotor constructions islocked in position Within the sleeve insofar as any substantial movement longitudinally of the sleeve axis is concerned.

What is claimed is:

1. A miniature rotory electric switch comprising a shaft, a front plate locked to said shaft against longitudinal movement in at least one direction with the shaft rotatable in said plate, said front plate having an outer portion, provided with locking means at least one switch section including an insulating sleeve, said sleeve having ends complementarily shaped, one sleeve end complementarily inter-fitting with the locking means of said front plate to lock said sleeve to said plate against rotation, spring means engaging said shaft and a sleeve end remote from the front plate for urging said sleeve toward said front plate, said front plate and spring means cooperating to compress said sleeve, a rotor including contacts rotatively coupled to said shaft and disposed within a sleeve, and stator contacts carried by said sleeve for cooperation with the rotor contacts.

2. The construction according to claim 1 wherein an insulating sleeve is provided between said front plate and a switch section insulating sleeve, index means disposed within said last named insulating sleeve, said index means cooperating with said shaft for defining index positions.

3. The construction according to claim 1 wherein said shaft has portions with a non-circular cross section for passing through a correspondingly shaped aperture in a rotor for rotatably coupling said rotor to said shaft.

4. The construction according to claim 1 wherein a switch section insulating sleeve is provided with a plurality of stator contacts disposed in a circular pattern around the sleeve axis, each stator contact having a portion extending into the region within the sleeve and ter- E5 minating in an active contact portion, said rotor including an insulating disk carrying at least one flat rotor contact, said rotor contact being rotatable in its plane for cooperation with said stator contacts.

5. A rotary switch section comprising an insulating sleeve having an inwardly directed flange adjacent one end of the sleeve and positioned at substantially right angles to the sleeve axis, said flange having openings therethrough at spaced intervals to provide a cage construction, means for mounting spring stator contacts on the sleeve circularly around the sleeve axis, spring stator contacts mounted in said mounting means and having a contact jaw extending through a cage opening inwardly of the sleeve, a rotor disk of insulating material within said sleeve and positioned against said flange, flat arcuate contacts carried by said disk, said disk contacts cooperating with the stator flange to retain the disk against said flange so that the disk is substantially perpendicular to the sleeve axis, stator and disk contacts cooperating to effect switching with disk rotation.

6. The rotary switch construction of claim 5 comprising a plurality of said rotary switch sections, the end of one stator sleeve being against the end of an adjacent sleeve, means at the ends of each sleeve for locking said sleeve against turning with respect to the adjacent sleeve, a shaft passing through the rotors of the switch sections, said shaft being coupled to each rotor, and means at the ends of the aligned stator sleeves for tensioning the shaft and compressing the sleeves whereby said switch construction is self-contained and requires no means external to the sleeves for maintaining the switch sections in position.

7. The construction according to claim 5 wherein said stator sleeve contacts are mounted on the exterior of the sleeve, and include a terminal portion extending away from the sleeve.

8. The construction according to claim 5 wherein each stator sleeve has a dovetail slot extending along the outer surface of the sleeve for each stator contact, said stator contact having a body portion wide enough to slip along the dovetail slot, said slot having one end at the front end of the sleeve, said dovetail slot terminating short of the other end of the slot so that said contact is limited as to position and spring means on each contact for locking the contact in position in said slot.

9. A miniature rotary electric switch comprising a shaft, a front plate locked to said shaft against longitudinal movement in at least one direction with the shaft rotatable in said plate, said front plate having an outer portion provided with locking means, at least one switch section including an insulating sleeve, means complementarily interfitting with said locking means for rotatively locking said sleeve to said front plate, said sleeve having an inwardly directed flange, positioned at substantially right angles to the sleeve axis and provided with spaced openings, a plurality of stator contacts carried by said sleeve and disposed around the sleeve axis, each contact having a mounting portion for securing the contact to said sleeve and having a spring contact jaw portion extending inwardly of said sleeve adjacent said flange through an opening, a rotor mounted on said shaft and comprising an insulating disk and rotor contact portion, the rotor contact portion being flat and lying against one side of the disk adjacent the edge thereof and extending beyond said disk, said rotor being disposed adjacent said flange in said stator sleeve and having the rotor contact portion resting against one side of said flange so that as said rotor turns the rotor contact portion moves along the flange and cooperates with the stator contacts.

10. The construction according to claim 9 wherein at least one additional switch section including a stator sleeve and rotor is provided, means at the abutting ends of adjacent sleeves locking said sleeves against relative turning movement, and a spring member engaging a Ll portion of said shaft and the free end of the switch assembly remote from the front plate for tensioning the shaft and pressing the successor stator-sleeves together.

11. The construction accordingto claim 10 wherein said shaft is notched for engaging said spring member.

12. A multisection rotary switch comprising, a' stator including a plurality of hollow, generally cylindrical stator sections, locking means on each stator section complementarily interfitting with the locking means on an adjacent stator section, each of said stator sections having a plurality of longitudinally extending recesses formed in the outer periphery thereof; stator contacts, each having a first portion mounted in one of said recesses, and a second portion extending into the interior of said stator and spaced therefrom; meansfixedly securing-each stator contact first portion in its respective recess; a shaft r0- tatably positioned in said stator; and rotor means coupled to said shaft and including a plurality of rotor sections' corresponding in number to and aligned with said stator sections, said rotor sections each having at least one rotor contact extending outwardly therefrom and adapted to engage the stator contact portions on the stator contacts of the aligned stator sections upon rotation of the rotor.

13. The switch defined in claim 12 wherein each stator contact portion is defined by a pair of spaced apart jaws which are adapted to receive the rotor'contact therebetween.

Reterences Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,841,269 1/32 Weston 20014 2,038,405 4/36 Beach et al. 200-168 2,069,440 2/37 Hatlorn 6430 2,186,949 1/40 Allison et al'. 20015 2,201,881 5/40 Bryant et al. 2008 2,493,184 1/50 Budd et al.

2,696,535 12/54 McLean" et al. 200-8- 2,745,620 5/56 Murphy 85- 36 2,770,982 11/56 Mastney'et al. 74-527 2,798,907 7/57 Schneider 200-14 2,845,501 7/58 George 200-14- 2,907,847 10/59- Grenier et al. 200-16 FOREIGN PATENTS 594,177 11/47 Great Britain.

521,422 7/53 Belgium.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, PrimalyExaminer.

- MAX L. LEVY, Examiner. 

5. A ROTARY SWITCH SECTION COMPRISING AN INSULATING SLEEVE HAVING AN INWARDLY DIRECTED FLANGED ADJACENT ONE END OF THE SLEEVE AND POSITIONED AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO THE SLEEVE AXIS, SAID FLANGE HAVING OPENINGS THERETHROUGH AT SPACED INTERVALS TO PROVIDE A CAGE CONSTRUCTION, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SPRING STATOR CONTACTS ON THE SLEEVE CIRCULARLY AROUND THE SLEEVE AXIS, SPRING STATOR CONTACTS MOUNTED IN SAID MOUNTING MEANS AND HAVING A CONTACT JAW EXTENDING THROUGH A CAGE OPENING INWARDLY OF THE SLEEVE, A ROTOR DISK OF INSULATION MATERIAL WITHIN SAID SLEEVE AND POSITIONED AGAINST SAID FLANGE, FLAT ARCUATE CONTACTS CARRIED BY SAID DISK, SAID DISK CONTACTS COOPERATING WITH THE STATOR FLANGE TO RETAIN THE DISK AGAINST 